Morten relishing Laudrup reunion
8th February
Morten Wieghorst pointed to the lure of working with Michael Laudrup again as a key reason behind his appointment as the Great Dane's assistant at Swansea City.
The former Celtic and Denmark midfielder left his post in charge of Denmark's Under-21 side to reunite with Laudrup in his new role at the Liberty.
Wieghorst, who played alongside Laudrup at the 1998 World Cup and then under him at Brondby, was today confirmed as the Swans boss' No.2, though he won't be in the dugout for Saturday's home clash with QPR.
The 41-year-old, who guided Nordsjaelland to two Danish Cup titles during his five-year spell at the club, said: "I have had the pleasure of playing with Michael for the national team and then I played under him at Brondby - I was still learning from playing under him even when I was 31.
"Now to get the chance to work with him is a great opportunity for me.
"It is a chance to work with a very good manager at a team with quality players in the Premier League.
"I have seen a lot of the (Swans) games this season as a TV station in Denmark shows a lot of the Premier League, and I have been very impressed.
"The style of football here, of course, is perfect for me and I can't wait to get started."
Wieghorst's arrival means Erik Larsen will fully concentrate his efforts on international scouting, working alongside Head of Player Recruitment David Leadbeater and Technical Recruitment Scout Ian Henderson.
Laudrup said he was delighted with the appointment of his fellow countryman.
"I know Morten very well, and I know what he has to offer," said Laudrup, who son Andreas played under Wieghorst at Nordsjaelland and the Danish Under-21s.
"I think it is a good time to bring him in as assistant manager. When I looked at what I wanted from someone for this role, I needed two things - he needed to have been a manager previously, and have a lot of experience with football over here.
"Morten has those qualities having worked as an assistant and then manager at Nordsjaelland after a successful playing career in Scotland with Dundee and Celtic.
"He will fit in very well here."
Laudrup also confirmed that Wieghorst has been given permission to take charge of his home nation's Under-21s for two friendly matches in March and a qualifying match in June if the Danish FA fail to find a replacement in time.